The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-24
NIAGARA FALLS.
Historic Interest and Charm of Niagara
River and Neighboring Scenes.

While hundreds of tourists visit the
Falls of Niagara every season, not one
in a thousand actually sees the river.
But with the freeing of Niagara. y
celebrated by New York State and
Canada July Is, 1885, the river ex-
perienced a new birth. Hereafter. in
the true spirit of this international
bond, the traveller, having enioveti
restored nature at the points comprised
within the limits of the International
Park Survey, may explore Niagara
River to where, actually freed from its
high, precipitous mural boundaries. it
pours the waters of our upper inland
seas into the broad Ontario. Here
eliminates the historic interest of the
Niagara frontier, as at the Whirlpool
modern rock-readings tell us to seek
clew to its geological past For of
few other rivers may it be said that
they have threefold charm, appeal
ing alike to artist, historian, and man
of science.
True lovers of Niagara hope that
the day is not far distant when the
International Park will consist of not
merely mile strip on the American
bank, but grand double boulevard.
running from Buffalo To Youngstown,
and on the Canadian cliffs from the
Horseshoe Falls to Queenston. As
site for country villas, Lewiston Ridge,
with the unnumbered beautiful drives
in its neighborhood and its picturesque
historical associations, must, as the
cities of western New York grow in
wealth and population, become not
less famous than the cliffs of Newport.
Below the cataract, the Niagara, al
though comparatively few tourists dis
cover this fact, has a beauty and gran
deur no less imposing than the falls
themselves. Not content with its
mighty plunge of los feet, the river
goes surging and tossing downward
another 104 feet in its rocky bed over
falls of a preglacial stream.
the remains of third cataract being
still percepuble in the Whirlpool
Rapids. AT the Whirlpool the river
untwists itself like some mighty SER
pent from its sinuous contortions in
TINS concaye prison, to pour itself an
emerald-green wave into a channel at
right angles with its former course,
and henceforth trends northeast with
many gentle curve.
Not until we reach Lewiston Ridge
do we turn our backs on the Niagara's
exhibition of power From
this height, described by Father Char
levois as "a frightful mountain which
hides itself in clouds on which the
Titans might attempt to scale the
heavens, is view worthy the expan-
sive canvas of a Bierstadt The table
land terminates abruptly in an escarp-
ment. Beneath stretch boundless mead
owlands as rich as any in agricultural
England. They slope gently to the
river, which, coming headlong down
the gorge, with the leap and roar of
the Whirlpool upon it, gradually sub
sides into a tranquil stream as the
bold outlines of the banks above Lew
iston fall away into broad, smiling
plains. Across the gorge is the
Bunker Hill of Canada, crowned by
its lofty shaft. Few monuments in
the world have so imposing an effect
in the landscape as the lonely form of
Brock towering in the blue clouds far
above the heights of Queenston.
Nesting under the shadow of her
mountain is Lewiston, so named in
1905 for Governor Morgan Lewis, of
New York. At the extreme north,
beyonu the village OF OungStoWn,
and commanding the angle at the
headland of river and lake, we descry
the white ramparts of Fort Niagara,
whence the gallant Pouchot, begirt
with enemies. looked out in 1853, vain
ly attempting to discover moving
among the trees the battalions of his
allies from the Detroit River Exactly
opposite Fort Niagara lies fair New
ark, once gay, rich, and beautiful"
presenting to the waters edge her
ancient front of crumbling fortresses
and gray church towers. Meade
Welch, i'l Harpers Magazine.